


Freedom

by hamwrites



Series: Bertannie Week Drabbles [2]
Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Angst, F/M, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-05
Updated: 2013-12-05
Packaged: 2018-01-03 12:37:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 553
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1070551
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hamwrites/pseuds/hamwrites
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>I don’t want them to kill me. Not the survey corps, not the garrison, not the rest back home, none of them. But if it comes down to it, and I know it will, I would rather let you take my life hundreds of times than for them to have a single chance. I’m not going to let them strip me of my freedom.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Freedom

**Author's Note:**

> Little fic from the bertannie week celebrations uvu the prompt was 'freedom' so I went ahead and took a crack at it. I hope I did the pairing justice haha!

"We could do it ourselves, you know."

 

Bertholdt looked up from the shred of grass he was playing with. He sat under a stout oak tree just a few miles away from the great wall Maria. It was a beautiful day, the sun shining and not a cloud in the sky. Birds sang their melodies and the bright green grass danced in response. Sitting adjacent to him was one of his closest friends, Annie Leonhardt. Her slender legs were hunched up to her chest as to conserve space, her icy cold gaze fixed on the wall.

"What?" Bertholdt questioned the young blond, unsure of whether he heard her correctly the first time.

"We could end it, Bert. It would be quick, painless. No tears. We could even do it right here. No one would notice, they’d probably assume we were stupid enough to get eaten," Annie replied in a monotone voice, not a single shred of emotion escaping her lips.

"A-Annie… are you talking about… killing ourselves?" the taller boy stammered, searching her face for a sign of humor that he knew he wouldn’t find. 

"Yeah. I’ll do you first, if you like."

"N-No! Annie, why would you even think of such a thing?" Bertholdt was beginning to panic at the thought of her actually thinking such extreme thoughts.

"Because, Bertholdt. I don’t want  _them_  to kill me. Not the survey corps, not the garrison, not the rest back home, none of them. But if it comes down to it, and I know it will, I would rather let you take my life hundreds of times than for them to have a single chance. I’m not going to let them strip me of my freedom.”

Bertholdt looked at the girl in shock. He was at a loss for words, the sweat on his face accumulating. “A-Annie…”

"Please, Bert," Annie interrupted as she suddenly turned to look at him, her features displaying just the slightest imagery of sadness. "Please. Just promise me you’ll do this for me. You’ll kill me before they do, and you’ll let me keep my freedom."

Bertholdt seemed to calm down a little at having been shown a glimpse of her emotions, but he was still fairly shaken up.  ”What about Reiner? Did you ask him?”

Annie turned and faced forward again. “Yeah. He said he wouldn’t do it, that there’s shame in taking the easy way out instead of fighting until the end. The same response I got from my dad this morning.”

At her solemn response, Bertholdt thought it over and came up with a response. 

"Okay." Annie turned to look at her friend, a glimmer of hope showing in the corner of her eye.

"You will? Do you mean it?"

"Yeah. If I had do give anyone my freedom, it would be you," Bertholdt replied with a shy smile. "But on one condition: you keep fighting as long as possible. Be strong, be brave, be Annie."

Annie tucked a bit of loose golden hair back into her signature messy bun before looking Bert in the eye.

"Deal." She had him shake on it, and for a long time it was silent, the two of them staring off into the distance.

"Hey Bert."

"Yes, Annie?"

"I’ll never let them take your freedom."

"I’ll never let them take yours."


End file.
